Beverley Taylor Sorenson

Beverley Taylor Sorenson rose from a Salt Lake City childhood of deprivation driven by the Great Depression, but rich in love and the arts, each of which would form the basis of her life of great service and consequence. Born in 1924 as the fifth of six children to Frank and Bessie Taylor, she set her sights upon a teaching career and graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the “U” in 1945. She quickly assumed duties as a kindergarten teacher at a Quaker school in Brooklyn, New York, and began instilling in her students a love for the arts, for she firmly believed in their importance in establishing a sound base for learning and for life.

Beverley married James Levoy Sorenson in 1946, and their union has produced incalculable benefits throughout Utah, not to mention their eight children, 47 grandchildren and 55 great-grandchildren. James career as an innovator in medical technology gave the Sorensons the means to provide support for a myriad of worthy causes. Following Jim’s death in 2008, Beverley continued his philanthropic work. Over the years, she has become renowned for her contributions to building a strong cultural foundation for children through such programs as art works for kids! and ArtsFusion, as well as through other gifts that continue to enhance the level and breadth of education and the arts in Utah.